Truly Madly Mates

CHAPTER 1

Selena Jones stood in front of her room window reminiscing on the days she had with her mother.

The night breeze rushed past her face through the window, as she thought of her mother's last words: "You'll always be my treasure, Selena".

What followed those words was silence. Her mother had breathed her last.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she relived those heartbreaking moments.

As far as she was concerned, cancer was a jerk. With her finger, she traced the letters on her left arm where she had tattooed her mother's name. Elizabeth.

This was her reality now. A life without her mother, now a life with a gambling addict she called father who was putting both their lives at risk.

While she was still soaked in her thoughts, a knock came. Loud. Not persistent.

She dashed to the door of the sitting room. It had to be her dad. "Dad, you really need to stop coming home late. You could put all our-"

Just before she could finish her sentence, she looked up. It wasn't her dad. Rather, standing before her were two men in black. No smiles. Just faces covered in black shades and frowns.

"Wh...who are you?" She stammered. Almost biting her lips due to fear.

"Tell your father we're here, Selena."

She gasped. How did these men know her name?

"My father is not here!"

One of the men laughed. A cold laughter.

Selena wondered what was funny.

"When he returns from whatever dungeon he went to, pass this warning to him. He has five days to pay the amount he owes or he'll get what's coming to him."

They turned and left. She hurriedly shut the door and looked at it like she had just seen a ghost.

That message struck her in ways she could not describe.

Her father was putting their lives in danger.

What if these men came to harm her?

She stood by the door, still visibly shaken by what had just happened even after they had left.

"This is Samuel, please leave a message"

Voicemail.

That was the response she got as she dialed her dad's number for the umpteenth time.

She hoped her father wasn't in any danger. Though his actions were questionable, she still cared for him.

The next morning, she got a call from an unknown number. She looked at the phone screen for a few seconds then answered.

"Miss Selena. This is Joseph McCarthy."

"I'm not sure I know who you are."

"Your father does and we have unfinished business"

"But what has this got to do with m-"

Selena hardly finished her question before he cut in.

"Oh, everything. Meet me at Haven's cafe tomorrow. 12pm."

Before she could respond, the line went dead.

She stood, frozen, and wondered what her world had become.

***********************************************

The doors of Haven's cafe opened to her with the smell of coffee filling the air as she walked in.

She wore a loosely fitted chiffon top and tight blue jeans that accentuated her curves. Her hair was knotted up in a loose, messy bun.

She stood for a while, scanning the environment to see where Joseph was sitting.

Just in time, she turned to her left to see him beckoning to her.

She walked with grace and confidence towards where he was sitting. Her beautiful blonde hair bounced on her shoulders as she moved.

Few heads turned to look at her.

It was hard not to notice her.

She had a soft presence wherever she found herself, no matter how simple she appeared.

She was beautiful, inside and out.

There he was, sipping coffee.

Looking devilishly handsome with eyes that showed no emotion but could make any woman fall for him in seconds.

He didn't stand but his height was undeniable despite his sitting position.

If she didn't know better, she'd think she was meeting with a Greek god.

"Why am I here?" Selena finally found her voice after snapping back to reality from taking in all of him.

"To finish what your father started."

"I certainly am unaware of your business with my father."

"Oh, he owes me. And it's certainly no small amount. From the look of things, he won't be able to meet the deadline."

"What do I have to do with all of that?"

"A lot, Selena"

"How much does my father owe you?"

Something that looked like a smile appeared in the corner of his lips.

"Four hundred thousand pounds." He responded, almost scoffing.

Selena shifted in her chair. She could feel her throat tighten.